Student Stories

Lesley Stevenson '16

Film, Television and Theatre, Journalism Minor

I ultimately decided to come here because I felt that Notre Dame offered the perfect blend of academics and social life, and now that I’m here, the spiritual component is very important to me too. That wasn’t something I had originally looked in a university, but now that I’m here, it’s something that I greatly value.

I’m very fortunate in the fact that my parents could have afforded to send me to Notre Dame, regardless of the financial aid situation. However, having the scholarship incentive to come here was a huge factor in my decision to attend Notre Dame. I was accepted to a rather prestigious [school] in the Ivy League and it was very tempting to go there, but I would have been going for the wrong reasons. I would have been going for the name alone, and I felt that at Notre Dame I was being offered so much more.

My family has made a financial commitment to send me here, but the value is indescribable now, and I’m sure that it will only grow in the future.

Right now, I can tell that I’m growing personally, I’m growing academically, but I haven’t even begun to consider the ramifications for my career and the rest of my life, and I’m sure that the friends that I’ll make here are friends that I’ll have forever. I’m sure that what I learn here will impact my career trajectory for the rest of my life. And so, I’m only really beginning to experience the value of that investment. But it’s already an incredible value and credible reward.

Heather Eaton '14

Management Consulting, Anthropology and Studio Minors

My freshman year I had to take out a couple of loans, but the great thing about Notre Dame is that because I was coming in with a lot of scholarships from my hometown and from my high school, they actually took that first out of my student loan and student employment portion of my financial aid package, so that really decreased the amount of loans that I had to take.

The value of a Notre Dame education comes in a large part I think through our alumni network. What really made the difference for me here versus another school that cost just as much, was the fact that coming here I knew I was going to be supported both on campus and then after I left campus, and that’s really been the case for me, the people that I’ve encountered at my internships and just through random meetings in other cities.

The opportunities that I’ve been presented as a Notre Dame student are things that I never could have gotten at schools in my home state, the ability to have an internship after my sophomore year with one of the very top consulting firms in the nation is something that never would have been a possibility for me without Notre Dame.

I’m lucky enough to have a job as soon as I graduate. I’ll be able to pay off my student loans fairly rapidly, which is something that I’m very relieved about.

JesusisLord Nwadiuko '17

Marketing

I wanted to find a wonderful campus that hosted a student body that was passionate about their studies. And [they’re] not just passionate about their studies, [but] they’re passionate to change the world.

I was considering many other schools, but the main thing that stuck out to me is Notre Dame’s commitment to service. Not a lot of other schools have that, along with that, Notre Dame’s commitment to their students, personally, individually.

Our decision to invest in a Notre Dame education [makes] my family and I just smile knowing that it’s one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. It’s something you just pat yourself on the back and go like, yeah, great decision.

The financial aid process has been one made very easy to me by the accessibility of the financial aid office. Their willingness to help me on issues or questions that I’ve had. Coming to Notre Dame was definitely the right decision.

Juan Rangel '15

Political Science and Latino Studios

Cost was a big factor in deciding which of the universities I would end up choosing, especially as I made a decision consulting with my parents. Once I received my financial aid package from Notre Dame it kind of made my decision real easy, between another school in California or to make it out here to Notre Dame and I made the right decision.

The value of an investment in education at Notre Dame is well, it’s huge primarily. It touches on a lot of different aspects, one doesn’t really realize when first deciding which university they want to attend.

It’s not only the academics that one comes to know Notre Dame for; it’s really a full education where one is educating not only the mind, but the body and the soul and realizing that there’s a lot more than the books that one gains from an education here at Notre Dame.

My parents, although they never had the opportunity to go to college themselves, really do understand the value of higher education, and making sure that I’m really striving towards something that I’m really interested in and not only a degree just to get a job afterwards, but really educating my whole self and I think they’re proud of everything I’ve been doing here at Notre Dame.